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Cannolis

Italian AmericanDessertHard
Prep
60 min
Cook
15 min
Total
135 min
Serves
18

shells

  • 2 cupsall-purpose flour
  • 2 tbspgranulated sugar
  • 0.25 tspsalt
  • 3 tbspunsalted butter
  • 0.33 cupMarsala or red wine
  • 1large egg
  • 1egg white, for egg wash
  • 2 quartsvegetable oil, for frying

filling

  • 32 ozwhole milk ricotta, strained
  • 1 cuppowdered sugar
  • mini chocolate chips, optional
  • chopped pistachios, optional
  1. 1SHELLS — Add the flour, sugar, and salt to a food processor and pulse for about 10–15 seconds until thoroughly combined. Add in the butter and pulse again until you have a finely crumbly dough.
  2. 2Add in the wine and egg and pulse until smooth, about 5–6 minutes, although it could be a little longer. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and rest in the fridge for at least an hour.
  3. 3When the hour is just about up, get a large heavy-bottomed pot and add the oil. Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 360°.
  4. 4Cut the dough ball into 4 pieces and roll out one at a time, leaving the remaining pieces covered in the fridge until ready to roll out. Roll the dough on a well-floured surface as thin as you can. 1/4 inch is going to be too thick, so try rolling it even thinner. The thinner the dough, the better it will crisp up when you fry it. Cut into 4-inch circles using a cookie cutter.
  5. 5Lightly spray the cannoli forms with cooking oil, or brush them with vegetable oil. Wrap the dough circles around the cannoli forms and brush the edge with the egg wash and press the opposite side of the dough to it. Take the time to really press the edge together to make sure they come together as one. If you don't seal it well enough it could come apart in the oil.
  6. 6Use tongs or a spider to immerse shells in the hot oil (about 3–4 at a time) and fry until golden brown all around, about 1–2 minutes. Turn the shells as needed and try to keep the oil temp between 360° and 380° while frying.
  7. 7Carefully remove the shells from the oil using tongs and transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Let cool slightly before using the tongs to pull the form free from the shell. Let cool completely.
  8. 8Repeat with remaining dough until all the dough has been used. When using scrap dough, press together and let rest for at least 10 minutes before rolling it out again.
  9. 9FILLING — Be sure to strain the liquid from the ricotta using cheesecloth otherwise the filling can be runny. Place several layers of cheesecloth in a strainer and add the ricotta. Let drain for at least 20 minutes before squeezing by hand to remove the excess liquid.
  10. 10Add the strained ricotta and powdered sugar to a mixing bowl. Beat with a paddle until just combined.
  11. 11Pipe filling into fully cooled cannoli shells and dip the ends in mini chocolate chips or chopped pistachios if desired. Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately.

Notes

Do not fill the shells until ready to serve or they will become soggy.